Hooded trolley-track and bracket.



G. F.. VAN VENTER.

HOODED TROLLEY TRACK AND BRACKET.

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GEORGE F. VAN'DVENTER, OF UROR, ILLINOIS.

HOODED TROLLEY-TRACK AND BRACKET.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented leb. 6, 1917..

Application filed January 24, 191e. serial no. 73,794.

To all @1J/Lora t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, GEORGE F. VAN DVEN- Ter., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the cityof Aurora, county of Kane, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hooded Trolley-Tracks and Brackets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a trolley track for barn doors and similar structures and particularly to a track that Vis so hooded that atmospheric elements, such as rain, sleet and snow may be excluded from the interior ofthe structure and the tread of the track, and which is also' provided with means whereby birds and other small animals may be prevented from entering. The principal object of my invention is to so improve the general shape, construction and manner of erecting the track that it is neat in appearance, edective in its operation, and strong and durable in construction. It is also an object of my invention to form a trolley track that is preferably shaped or bent from ii a flat, elongated strip of metal, with as few parts as possible, and secured-together in a simple manner. It is also an object of my invention to provide a trackupon which a double roller truck of abarn door trolley may readily operate.

I desire to accomplish the above objects and such other objects as my invention may embody, by the means'and in the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, refercIlCe being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, 'in which similar reference characters are employed to indicate the same parts inthe divers figures. .r

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frag mentary portion of my'improved hooded trolley track and bracket, the end of the track being illustrated in section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofva fragmentary portion of the same.'

Referring to `the drawings, 5 designates the front wall or outer sheathing of the building or other structure upon which my invention is. adapted to be installed. Fitted iiush against this sheathing, 5, is the inner plate, 6, of one member of the bracket, that has its lower longitudinal edge, 7, bent laterally at right angles to itself and extended in an outward direction to form a ledge or shelf, upon which the inner vwall of the trolley track and hood is adapted to be supported. 1 4

The inner wall of the trolley track and hood comprises preferably an elongated strip of metal placed in a, vertical plaire parO allel with the wall of the building and comprises an upright or vertically disposed member, 8, the lower edge whereof is bent laterally at about right angles to itself to form the tread, 9, of the inner track. The tread, 9, just referred to, is of a width slightly greaterthan that of' the lateral member ofl the bracket andhas its outer portion bent downwardly to form an apron, 10.

The outer member of the trolley track and hood preferably comprises an elongated strip of'metal, of the same gage as the above described inner member, but or considerably greater width. The body portion of this outer member comprises a vertically disposed wall,v 11, corresponding` with and parallel t'o,the vertical'wall,S,oi*l the inner member, the top whereof is bent laterally to prolvide an inclined, rearwardly extended hood orprotecting guard, 1:2', that extends back vtothe vertical wall, 8,01? the inner track member, where thc same .is bent upwardly, as shown at 13. so as to be disposed fiat against the upper portions of the inner vertical member, S, and is then bent rearwardly toward the sheathing of the building so as to providea shed, 14, that is'inc'lined upwardly and rearwardly to and against the wall ofthe building to seal the same.

At thelower 'portion' of thewa'll, 11. the metal of the outermember of the track is bent at substantially right. angles thereto in an inwardly direction to form the outer tread, 15, vof the track that is' disposed substantially in the same horizontal plane as `the inner tread, 9, and is of substantially the same width thercas. Theedge of this tread is bent downwardly a slight distance to form a vertically disposed apron, 16, cor responding with apron, 10, of the opposite track and spaced therefrom a distance suiiicient to permit the pendant member', 17, of the trolley to move or be guided therein. Below this apron, 16, the metal strip is bent in a downwardly and outwardly inclined direction to form a roof, 18, over the door so as to shed water` therefrom and its outer edge is bent downwardly to form a vertical wall, 19, disposed parallel with the door in a vertical plane a distance from the wall of the building` to permit a door, 20, of ordinary width, to freely move therebetween. The lower edge of the lower wall, 19, is bent outwardly in a downwardly inclined direction toA provide a drip or eaves, 21, that is adapted to shed the rain or similar moisture, beyond the door and its mounting.

From the above it will be observed that the double track is practically closed against moisture, such as rain, sleet and the like, by means of the vertical walls, S and I1, and the hood, 12. The tracks are spaced apart suflicicntly to permit the pendant member of the door hanger to freely travel its course through the narrow slot, and the door itself, adjacent its upper edge, is protected against' atmospheric elements by the inclined roof and wall, 18 and 19. It will also be observed that this construction successfully prevents sparrows, and other small animals, 'from having access to the track and upper portion of the door so that they may not nest therein or cause derailment of the truck or clogging of the track.

In order to secure the outer track and hood member in position, I have provided an outer bracket that preferably comprises a relatively narrow, vertically elongated strip of metal, the upper vertical portion, 22, whereof lies fiat against the portion, 13, of the outer track member and corresponds in height therewith. The bracket member is bent outwardly and downwardly, as shown at 23, to fit over the inclined roof, 12, and then downwardly, as shown at 24, to iit the outer wall, 11. The lower edge of the bracket member is bent inwardly at substantially right angles to the vertical member, 24, to provide a shelf or ledge, 25, that fits under and supports the outer track, 15. I prefer to secure the two track members together by means of suitable bolts, rivets or swaging, and at suitable distances apart, I mount the two bracket members thereon and secure the whole structure to the barn wall by means of bolts, 26, that extend through the superimposed portions of these elements.

While I have described' and shown lthe track and hood members, as well as the lower door-protecting walls made of a single strip of iiat metal bent into the proper shape, it, of course, will be obvious to others skilled in the art 0f door-hangers and tracks of this type, that these divers walls and roofs may be constructed of separate strips and either bolted, riveted or swaged together. Therefore, I do not wish it understood that I herein limit myself to a track and hood made of a single strip of metal in the structure as contemplated within the scope of my invention as expressed in the appended claims.

TWhen the track is made in sections it is desirable to connect the abutting ends by means of metal straps, 28, connecting and bridging the two abutting track sections, said straps being preferably riveted at 29 to the sections, as shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2). Y

In order to further seal the track against invasion by birds and other small animals, I prefer to close the ends thereof by securing suitable transverse end-plates, 27, to the open ends of the track, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. 1,

1. A door hanger trolley track, comprising a housing consisting of an inner and an outer oppcsitely disposed member each terminating at their lower ends in a track member, an apron depending from the outer track portion, and aroof extending upwardly and inwardly from the upper end of the outer trackmcmber, the upper ends of said members being disposed Vin junta ver tical planes, a series of supporting brackets consisting each of two members conforming to 'the configuration of the housing with their lower ends spaced and under the housing while their upper ends are in junta vertical planes relatively to each other and to the upper ends of the housing members, whereby a single bolt may secure the upper ends of the housing and bracket members together and to a support at a given point.

2. In a door hanger trolley track, the combination with a section of track consisting of a wall plate having a laterally bent lower portion adapted to form the tread of the track, of a second section. of track compris ing a. length of sheet metal bent to provide a roof above said first named track section, avertical wall continuous from said roof the lower portion of which is bent laterally inward to provide a track tread opposite said IUD iirst mentioned tread,.the remaining portion i GEORGE F. VAN DVENTER.v

Witnesses:

GLNEY C. ALLEN, HARVEY GUNSUL.

yCopies of this patent may be obtaine for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

